It is a given, or it is axiomatic, or some such word, that greydogtales doesn’t follow rules well. So asking us for a review or to participate in a promotion is always a risk. Besides, weren’t the Axiomatics villains in Dr Who? We were listening to Jon Pertwee in The Navy Lark radio series only the other day, and… no, enough of that.
Today’s piece is about Alan M Clark and the relaunch of his novel A Parliament of Crows. We shall now behave ourselves, because we said we’d take part in the blog tour for it. Django, put that sandwich down and stand to attention for the nice man…
A Parliament of Crows
First things almost first. We have read this book, and yes, we thoroughly enjoyed it. Although we know Mr Clark quite well, we wouldn’t have bothered to write the rest of this if we were just being polite to a friend. We would have stopped there, shoved in a purchase link, and then told tasteless jokes about H P Lovecraft or Dan Brown to fill in the rest of the space. Instead, we had stuff to say.
Oddly enough, when we finally put A Parliament of Crows down, the first thing that came to mind was an element of many Inspector Maigret stories (by Georges Simenon). You learn very quickly what the key issue is – the death (and likely murder) of a young woman in three inches of water, under the influence of laudanum. You may well know who did it, and the obvious motive. But like Maigret, although Alan Clark understands the formal aspects of the crime, he wants to know more. What possible set of experiences and mental states might have led to one or more of three ‘respectable’ sisters being involved in this tragedy – and a number of other dubious deaths? And also like Maigret, he burrows deep to satisfy himself – and us.
The book commences in the Edwardian era, with said three sisters, Southern survivors of the American Civil War but now resident in the North, alive and held in custody as a trial progresses. One sister is dutiful and determined; a second is somewhat of a loose cannon, angry and frustrated, whilst the third is letting herself starve to death in her cell. The relationship between these women is the core of the whole book. Although this is a novel, it is directly inspired by a genuine historical case – the three real-life Wardlaw sisters, and the fate of Ocey Snead, a direct relative.
Over a year after Ocey’s death, the El Paso Herald printed a long article on the details of the case. The story included a paragraph captioned “Truth Indeed Strange” which summed up how many must have felt about it: “The history of the famous ‘bath tub’ mystery bears out the old adage that ‘truth is stranger than fiction.’ No more mysterious story was ever revealed within the covers of a novel than what was brought to light by the press and authorities after the finding of Ocey Snead’s body in the bathtub of her home in East Orange, N. J., on November 29, 1909.”
Library of Virginia project
What follows in Clark’s novel is what you might expect if you are familiar with his series on the women killed by the Whitechapel Murderer in 1888. With great ability he delves deep into the lives and psyches of his partly-fictional three sisters, going back to their childhood experiences on the family estate, and then following them forward through the decades. He explores the bonds and frictions between the sisters with a deft hand, leaving you no doubt that you are observing three ‘genuine’ people, not tokens gathered to justify a story. If they are villains, they are conflicted ones, and if they are wicked, that wickedness stems from minds which are dedicated to survival – a dysfunctional family which seeks to function, despite the cost.
As the novel unfolds, each courtroom scene is matched by strands of personal history, skilfully woven together to provide some explanation of how they came to this sorry state. The whole matter is handled sympathetically but without maudlin sentiment, and demonstrates the author’s real talent for getting under the skin of his characters.
Should you think this sounds at all dry, be not deceived. Along the way you will encounter dreadful deeds of murder, fraud, betrayal, lust and… we won’t give it away. You’ll see. Even the passing mention of a single pistol ball, used in a duel long ago, leads to something quite bizarre – and unpleasantly dark. Just as bizarre is the way in which, at times, it is possible to feel a whisper of sympathy for one or more of these three women, and how they were forged into what they became.
In conclusion, we ended up totally invested within only a few paragraphs, and didn’t put it down again until we’d finished the whole thing. An excellent read, well-written – not only a picture of the past, but a fascinating murder-mystery. Recommended.
Details of the actual Wardlaw case can be read on line – this site is quite informative:
Here’s a brief interview with Alan Clark, who says a little bit more about the work:
What inspired you to write this book?
A Parliament of Crows is based on the crimes of the Wardlaw sisters of 19th century America. For the story, I changed their name to Mortlow. I was fascinated with the idea of three sisters, prominent female educators in the field of social graces becoming criminals and murderers. I knew that for such prim and proper women of the 19th Century, powerful emotional issues had to be involved in their decisions to commit the crimes. The emotional motivations of characters being at the heart of any good tale, I knew that if I could find an answer to the question,”How did they find their deeds reasonable,” then I’d have a good tale to tell.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in A PARLIAMENT OF CROWS?
The story is about the three Mortlow sister, Vertiline, Mary, and Carolee. Vertiline is two years older than the twins, Mary and Carolee. The twins are emotionally volatile. The sisters’ father, Supreme Court Justice of Georgia, Horace Mortlow, just before his death during the American Civil War, gave Vertiline the duty of protecting the unstable twins in his absence. Trying to protect them, often from themselves, Vertiline, also commits crimes. The three form a dangerous triangle.
How did you come up with the names in the story?
I changed the names so that what I did with the characters would not offend any of the Wardlaw descendants. I make it clear that A Parliament of Crows is a work of fiction. That said, it follows much of the Wardlaw sisters’ history. I used the name Mortlow instead of Wardlaw, because the “Mort” as a word or syllable is often associated with death, and the “Low” suggests that to which the sisters sink in order to survive.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Writing different chapters from the three main characters’ POVs; developing the triangle formed by the sisters and their competing interests. The story covers most of their lives. While they are bound together as family and increasingly dependent on one another in committing their crimes and keeping their secrets, they are at odds over many things. Distrust between the siblings threatens to drive them apart and expose them.
Tell us about your main characters—what makes them tick?
Vertiline feels bound by duty to see her “difficult” sisters through life. The twins, Mary and Carolee enjoy as well as suffer an emotional connection. They cannot read each other’s thoughts, but each can know what is happening emotionally with her twin. Mary is very religious. Assuming a sense that she is one of God’s chosen, she feels exempt from the rules of society, though she puts up a good front. Carolee, basically an atheist, views herself as simply an animal who should take from the world what she wants, as long as she doesn’t have to suffer any consequences. She, too, puts up a good front most of the time. Vertiline tries to keep her sisters in line, and ends up compromising her own sense of right and wrong in the process of protecting them.
How did you come up with the title A Parliament of Crows?
Apparently crows do a weird thing in which they gather in large numbers, say in an open field, and an argument ensues between one or more of the birds. The others seem to watch. When the argument is done, the crows turn on one of the participants, presumably the loser, sometimes maiming, killing, or even cannibalizing the creature. Some who have viewed this phenomenon have likened it to a trial in which the defendant is convicted and punished. The term for that type of gathering is a parliament of crows. With the way the sisters go after each other, with the fact that they nearly always wore black mourning clothes, I thought the title appropriate.
Who designed your book cover?
I did the cover art and layout. I have been a freelance illustrator for 35 years, doing mostly book covers and interior illustrations for books.
If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
Joan Allen would be a great Vertiline and then Catherine Keener, doubling for the twins, would do well for Mary and Carolee.
The Author
You can find out about Alan Clark easily via the links below, so let’s not be boring. It was on the basis of his painstaking approach to interpreting history, and his handling of female characters, that old greydog ended up working with him on a number of projects, most notably 13 Miller’s Court, their interleaved tale of the Whitechapel Murders of 1888. Oh, and he’s from Oregon, you know, where they first grew oregono for putting on pizzas…
Author Links
Website: https://ifdpublishing.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlarmClank
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Rivers-Edge-515944125541875
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alanm.clark
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Alan-M-Clark/e/B001JP86WY
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/207866.Alan_M_Clark
Giveaway
$25 Amazon; Paperback of The Door That Faced West; ebook of the Jack the Ripper Victims Series novel- Of Thimble and Threat; ebook of A Parliament of Crows – 1 winner each
Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/a-parliament-of-crows-book-tour-and-giveaway
A Parliament of Crows was first released in 2013, and is now available again as part of IFD Publishing’s new ‘Horror That Happened’ range.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36443287-a-parliament-of-crows
Purchase in the US
Amazon: amazon us
Purchase in the UK:
Direct from the Publisher:
IFD Publishing: https://ifdpublishing.com/shop?olsPage=products%2Fa-parliament-of-crows-trade-paperback-book
After an August beset by too many other things to do, greydogtales will be back in a few days with all sorts of unrelated oddities. Stay on this frequency, dear listener…